Loyalty
by peroxidepest17
Summary: Team 7 teaches Team 5 a little about friendship and loyalty


Title: Loyalty   
Author: Celeste  
Rating: PG-13 for language  
Feedback: keviesprincess@netscape.net   
Main Characters: OMCs  
Summary: (ATF) Team 7 teaches Team 5 a little about teamwork and loyalty.  
Author's notes: Eh, just some random stuff. LOL My muse's attempt at stalling on   
finishing up "Odd Man Out". Just some insights from outsiders about the strange   
connection the seven have. I've been getting some mixed reviews about this and I   
thought I'd put it up on fanfiction.net as a sort of sounding board. Tell me   
what you think! Thanks to Luna (as always) for her awesome Beta work and   
Katherine for her encouragement!  
Disclaimer: Well, the Seven aren't mine, but I like to think the 7 members of   
Team 5 are my creation. They're real bastards though, kinda makes me wonder if I   
wanna keep 'em anyway. ;P The ATF universe isn't mine either, 'm just playin' in   
it for a while cause I love it so much!  
Distribution: Ask, and ye shall receive.   
  
(Supervisor: Jake Terry)  
  
Look at that. They're all leaving for the hospital now, to pick up their   
teammate. Like that's a six-man job. And I'm stuck here, with my team, covering   
for them until Friday. I have to do their job for four extra days for what   
reason? Standish got shot. And it takes ALL of them to watch him. Yeah right.   
Damn bad excuse to get the week off if you ask me. But no one asked me, did   
they? Travis just called Tuesday morning and said real easy like, "Terry, you're   
covering for Larabee's men until Friday."  
Like I can argue with the AD. Maybe if I had had the balls to say something,   
my team and me wouldn't be stuck here when we're supposed to be on vacation. And   
why is my team, Team 5, here in the first place? Because Standish got shot. Damn   
him. Damn him and his loyalty to Chris Fuckin' Larabee. Damn them all for that.   
If I sound a little bitter and jealous, it's probably cause I am. I've been   
shot eight fuckin' times in my career. Eight. Standish took a bullet for   
Larabee. He jumped in front of it like it was the fuckin' most natural thing in   
the world to do. I have six men too, you know. None of the bastards ever even   
moved to get between me and some hot lead when they had the chance. And believe   
me, they have had the chances. And right before my very eyes, Standish took the   
bullet for Larabee. The little shit was willing to die for the man. My team   
woulda ducked and covered before the bullet cleared the chamber like the damn   
cowards they are.   
How the hell does Larabee do it? He ain't the nicest person I've ever met, by   
far. But he has six men who would get between him and the bad guys, open up   
their arms and say, "take me instead" without batting an eye. Why didn't I get   
those men? How did Chris Larabee do it? If there's a god damn secret I got left   
out of I'm gonna shoot someone. The bastard got six of the biggest sons-a-  
bitches this side of the law to follow him to hell and back and I wanna know how   
he did it, dammit.   
Wilmington turned down a promotion once, ya know that? They wanted him to   
supervise his own team, said he had, "the stuff" it took, that he could "finally   
get out from being under Larabee's shadow as 2IC". The ass turned it down   
without even thinkin' five damn minutes on it. Fuck him. He's a dumbass. The   
pay's better in this position, and you get to be the boss. Why'd he turn it   
down? He likes his team he says. He likes, 'the fellas' he says. Fuck   
Wilmington. I worked hard to get to the top. If he's too good to take it then he   
can go to hell. If he'd rather stay under Larabee's command like he has for the   
past 14 years that's fine. My man Harper and I worked together for 20. Two   
goddamn decades. Harper was offered his own team and the man fuckin' lit out the   
door before the papers could even clear the damn printer.   
And the others? Well shit. Tanner got a haircut for Larabee. Boy was fightin'   
like a cougar, wouldn't let the doctors touch his head so they could save him.   
But the second Larabee looks at him he's willin' to let 'em take off his right   
arm if that's what Chris wants 'em to do. Hell, even Dunne turned down a job   
offer from some software company in CA. Turned down a six-fig salary and   
benefits, company car, paid vacations. He likes his team. He likes his job.   
Chris Larabee is a damn fine man to work with, says he. Sanchez came out of   
retirement to work with Larabee. Came out of days fishing, sleeping in late and   
games on golf cause the man was "somethin' special". Jackson pulled off a   
fuckin' miraculous medical operation-in the field- 'cause Larabee expected him   
to. Just like that, you'd think the man was god. Jackson was able to it cause   
Larabee expected him to. And Standish? Standish took a goddamn bullet for Chris   
Larabee. If someone shot a bullet into my men they'd all fuckin' fight to out of   
the way of each other while prayin' to their momma's it'd hit someone else   
first. Yeah, even WITH their god damn vests on.   
So what did Larabee do that I couldn't? How'd that glare of his inspire   
ANYTHING? Is it those damn fishing trips they take? If that's it then fuck that.   
I don't want to spend more time than I need to with these six selfish bastards.   
Screw em, they can take their own damn bullets.  
  
(Sniper: Brad Fraser)  
  
Fuck you Larabee, and your team, and AD Travis, and Jake Terry too. I'm   
supposed to be fishing you ass holes. Now where am I? I'm on call to backup Team   
8 on a Wednesday afternoon with paperwork up the ass over Monday's bust. This'll   
be the fuckin' last time Team 5 backs your asses up Larabee. You sure as hell   
didn't want us there. Well I didn't goddamn want to be there either so that   
suits both of us fine you sanctimonious bastard.   
I was in the running to be on your team, but I wasn't good enough for you was   
I? Was my perfect track record not to your liking you asshole? Yeah, well I   
don't need any of you to take a bullet for me either. And the rest of my team   
wouldn't even think about it so that just suits me fine. Give Standish my   
regards Larabee. The bastard didn't know what he was getting into when he signed   
on did he? Bet he would have stayed the hell away, like the rest of us, if he'd   
have known getting filled with holes was what your team was gonna be famous for.  
I wouldn't risk getting' killed to save your ass anyway, so maybe it's a good   
thing I didn't make your final cut Larabee. I won't risk any shit for the guys   
on my team, and they won't for me either. It works out better that way see? Go   
ahead, you and your team run willy nilly watchin' each other's backs. I'll be   
fine watchin' my own. It's easier that way. You just don't get how it works   
Larabee. Yeah, give Standish my regards.   
  
(Surveillance Specialist: Troy Riley)  
  
This sucks. Dammit, we were supposed to get the rest of the week off after   
Monday's bust. Standish just HAD to get shot, didn't he? And the rest of his   
team? Seen the lazy bastards all of twice since they emitted him. Travis says   
they spent the entire time in the ICU. Bull shit. I've seen Larabee's men, they   
can't stand still for more than five minutes let alone two days. What I wanna   
know is which one of the bastards has Judge Travis in his pocket that he lets em   
get away with half ass explanations like that. Why the hell would anyone want to   
stay in the fucking Hospital for two days anyway? It's not like the goddamn   
doctors don't know what to do with Standish. It's Team 7's way of getting off of   
work if you ask me. Someone shoot Brad, maybe we'll get next week off if the   
rest of us pretend to care enough. Ha.   
What I wanna know is what the hell Standish was thinking. What's worth givin'   
and riskin' your life for? The "Team"? Bullshit. Your BOSS? Fuck that. I   
wouldn't risk shit for Terry. He can fucking take his own bullets thank you very   
much. This job is too dangerous as it is, we don't need to risk our necks even   
more for the man that gets paid more than we do. The man who gets all the credit   
when things go right. Terry deserves all the shit he gets if you ask me.   
Besides, this is where we work, dammit. Why in the hell would Standish go all   
out like that for his fucking job? Did he want a commendation that badly or was   
the poor kid just plain suicidal?  
Oops, I snorted out loud and now Fraser's giving me the "are you insane"   
look. I throw him back my best imitation of Larabee's "fuck you" look and get   
back to work. Yeah, like I'd risk my life for the likes of you Fraser. You can   
eat your own lead along with Terry. Dammit, I don't get it. We've seen Larabee   
and Standish duke it out in the middle of the workday but when push comes to   
shove they fight over who gets to take the bullet for the other.   
Yeah, and I saw the looks on the other's faces when they saw Standish get it   
too. Idiots probably wished they had been the one to get it in the chest. Did   
you see how all five of their guns went straight to that baddy that fired to   
blow his friggin' brains all over the goddamn warehouse? Like he was the most   
disgusting thing in the world. I'm glad I'm not on their shit list. If they   
really do care about you, you're the luckiest fucking dog in the country   
Standish, mark my words. If I got blown to hell and was hangin' on by a thread   
in the ICU the rest of Team 5 would be soakin' up the downtime at the bar or on   
the links. You have a bullet tear through nothing more than your fucking   
shoulder and your team's been down everyone's throat every second they're not   
with you. But that's still too damn hard to believe if you ask me, you son of a   
bitch. No one here cares that much about anyone. It's all just a show.  
  
(Chemist: Doug Campbell)   
  
That's it, lemme go fucking shoot myself so I can get some rest. Figures   
Jackson and Sanchez finish their paperwork, but I get stuck with Wilmington's   
left over shit? Does the man even KNOW how to work? He has the header. Fuck   
Wilmington, I hate paperwork. I should be freakin' on my way to Vegas for the   
week and where the hell am I? I'm on Team 7's floor mopin' up their shit. Thanks   
a lot Wilmington, Standish. Fuck you both. I'm GLAD Agent Jameson broke your   
fucking cover Standish. You're the goddamn son of a bitch that needed to get   
shot most. Ha, too bad Team 5 doesn't have you Standish. Jameson's the sorriest   
ass undercover agent I've ever met. He's fucking jealous of you, you know. Hell,   
the asshole probably MEANT to blow BOTH your covers. THAT's what it's really   
like Standish, not that fluffy shit you've had since workin' with Larabee. You   
gotta watch your own back, like Jameson. Why'd you think he didn't get shot?   
Cause he ducked when you jumped you ignorant bastard.   
Yeah, we can cover ourselves real good, can't we? Not like your team,   
Larabee. Jumpin' in front of bullets and moving cars and shit like that. You   
ain't got it in you to work in this field. You're all gonna die sorry ass deaths   
real soon unless you take some notes from Supervisor Terry there. Worry about   
yourself, cause no one else is gonna when it all hits the fan.   
So how'd you do it Larabee? Are the seven of you in some scam, takin'   
payoffs? One of the others got dirt on you? What's the hitch here? Why do they   
act so damn devoted? Like fuckin' puppies. It's gotta be for either money or   
blackmail, cause that sort of thing don't come naturally to a man's heart.   
There's no such things as heroes no more, mark my words. You better fucking   
watch your back close Larabee, your men might just take you out through it one   
day. Yeah, the world's a dirty, dirty place huh? Loyalty like that doesn't exist   
Larabee. They want something from you. You'd best keep it all in. Team 5 has   
nothing on me if they turn coat. Can you say the same bout your Magnificent 7? I   
didn't think so.   
  
(Undercover Agent: Lawrence Jameson)  
  
Seems that nowadays, not only is Team 7 fucking their own lives, but they're   
fuckin' everybody else's as well. Damn cowboys. I had a midweek date with this   
sweet college thing on Spring Break and... damn. I hate my job. Only fucking   
reason I'm here in the first place is cause my whole goddamn family's always   
worked for the freakin' ass government. And now I'm here, today, called away   
from my vacation, cause Team 7 needs to recoup from their "near loss" as Judge   
freakin' Travis put it. Standish was a moron. Fucking idiot, why didn't he just   
goddamn duck and stay down like I did the moment the shit hit the fan?  
Fuck this. Everyone in the bureau talks about how promising Standish is, how   
good he is, Ezra that, Standish this... Fuck him. The little shit doesn't even   
know to duck when the lead starts flyin'. How the hell is his record better than   
mine? After Monday's performance I'm surprised the asshole isn't dead. Heck, I'm   
surprised all of them aren't dead, the way they go "Secret Service" on each   
other's asses. They spend so much time watching out for each other they're not   
gonna know when the real shit's goin' down. They ain't gonna last.  
God, Terry's givin' me the eye now. You want me to get back to work you   
fucking ass? Bite me. I hate my boss. Yeah, now Fraser's laughin' at me. Fuck   
you too. I hate him. I literally count the hours that I'm stuck with these 6   
jokes before I get to go home every night. Wilmington was a dumbass for not   
taking that promotion. It would have gotten him the hell out of this ass ugly   
office and into a big one, AWAY from his freakin' annoying teammates. I would   
have taken it before the offer passed the AD's lips. Ha, I'd fuckin' leave the   
rest of these yahoos in the dust in the time it takes to blink. Wilmington was   
an idiot. They were all idiots for signing under Larabee.   
I hear Standish is getting a commendation for courage in the field from,   
(gasp) AD Travis himself. I wonder how it feels. How's it feel Standish?   
Getting' your chest blown from the outside in just for a coupla pats on the back   
and some words on paper. You shoulda let the bastard shoot Larabee. Your boss   
woulda deserved it if he was too slow to duck. You know your whole goddamn team   
took these past two days off? Screwed our whole friggin' vacation cause you were   
shot. Like it was an excuse. Sanchez came in today lookin' like he's been   
partying hard while you're stopped up in ICU. Must have one hell of a hangover   
the way he and the rest of your buddies were lookin'. Red eyed and tired. Must   
have toasted your stupidity real good at the bar while they were soakin' it up   
huh? Guess they owe you a debt of gratitude for the extra down time. You get   
shot and they go off. I hope they at least toasted you. Here's to Standish, the   
idiot that got us more time off.   
It's pretty much the same thing over here to, you know. I had half a pound of   
lead in me when an op went bad once, Terry took my recoup time off and took a   
nice cruise round the Florida Keys. "Dealing with the near loss". You think   
Larabee and the others are doin' that now? Off getting' drunk'n laid while you   
got a fuckin' catheter shoved up your ass? I wouldn't put it past 'em. They   
probably haven't even been in to visit you the entire time. You're just an alibi   
Standish. No one cares about their colleagues that much. Damn fool.   
  
(Surveillance Specialist: Clint Delvin)   
  
I've been reduced to trash-ketball. When I should be out camping with my   
girlfriend, I'm playing basketball with wadded up pieces of paper while I do my   
computer work. Damn Larabee and his men. I can only stand to be NEAR the rest of   
my team for so many hours a month you know.   
I know Terry blames me for this as much as he blames Larabee and his men. How   
the hell was I supposed to know that when Larabee said, "watch him..." he meant   
for the ENTIRE time? It's not like I could keep an eye on one man during the   
entire gunfight. I wasn't gonna risk my neck like that. It's his own fault for   
fucking getting shot at by the bastard I was "supposed to cover" anyway. He   
should have stayed on guard. Fucking trusts his men too much to watch out for   
him if you ask me. It's gonna get him killed. Guess he'll learn his lesson too   
late. It'll either be him or one of his men. Ha, his men. His men are idiots.   
Standish and Tanner have like, some running competition. Who can get shot the   
most in their career. I think they're tied. Both idiots shot and given field   
commendations for bravery. Should be for stupidity if you ask me. Tanner's had a   
whole building fall on him once, ran into the place where Sanchez and Dunne had   
been blown up in screamin' like an idiot. Damn thing collapsed on the fool.   
Fucking miracle they all got out alive. And Standish? Pushed Jackson out of the   
way of the mob's drive-by and took six slugs. Man has more lives than a fucking   
cat.   
What the hell do they want? To die young as fucking heroes? The kiddies need   
to learn what's important. Surviving. They ain't gonna do it unless they start   
prioritizing. Life, man. They gotta do whatever it takes to keep em alive. Screw   
the rest, that's what they're tryin' to do anyway. If you get caught up lookin'   
out for more than yourself you just get distracted and stuck in the crossfire.   
Hell, I'd push Fraser or Terry INTO the fucking way before I jump to save the   
bastards' lives. Yeah, Campbell's glaring at me now. I hate that asshole. Hell,   
I'd FIRE on him if I could. I'm getting to work you shit head, stop lookin' at   
me like that. I'm not fucking sorry the trashketball ricocheted onto your desk.   
  
(Profiler/Psychoanalyst: Kevin Erickson)  
  
Look at this. This isn't a team; this is the government's imitation of   
corporate America. No one on my team has a fucking sincere bone in their body.   
What did Larabee do right that Terry did wrong? What made 6 men believe that   
Chris Larabee's life was worth more than their own and vise versa? I can't even   
remember the last person I would have put everything on the line for. It might   
have been my imaginary friend Jojo back in the first grade. Look at the rest of   
Team 5. They're pissed. I'm sort of pissed too. I really wanted to get away from   
the goddamn office for the weekend before Travis' call ruined everything. But I   
guess that's part of our problem. We hate spending more time than we need to   
together.   
Larabee and team go on a monthly fishing trip. If my team tried that only one   
of us would return alive (though badly injured).   
What makes such different men come together so forcefully? It's a pretty damn   
interesting question for a man in my field. What on earth could they possibly   
have in common with each other? How do they inspire each other to do so much?   
What do they have that we're missing? (Besides the fact that all the secretaries   
downstairs fantasize about them...)   
This is ridiculous. I'll bet my career that if Terry had the chance to kill   
someone without consequence he'd chose someone on this team. We can't trust each   
other, cause we know we're all backstabbing bastards with our own agenda. Is   
that it? Is it because Larabee's team doesn't want anything from this job   
anymore that they don't feel like steppin' on each other to get to the top?   
I'm confused and I have a goddamn degree in Psychology. What makes it so   
right Larabee? Is it worth it? Is it worth risking your life for another man?   
Does the give and take feel good or something?   
God, if I had someone care about me enough to die for me... Is that it? The   
feeling of importance? But then again, why would you in return, die for a man?   
Is that what makes you so great in the first place? If Terry or Fraser or   
Jameson or one of the others cared that much about me, would I be able to   
reciprocate? That's just not normal. People want to survive; it's basic   
instinct. To prioritize someone else's survival over your own is unnatural. It's   
quite frankly, creepy.   
I suppose, it's a nice fantasy my team has, being important to one another,   
like your team. The good thing about these guys is, they're normal; I can   
analyze them. And I can fairly say they're jealous to hell of you Chris Larabee.   
We all are. Why? Because we WANT what you have dammit. We'd LIKE to care that   
much about someone. But instead, we act hostile and rationalize with ourselves   
about how much it costs to care that much. We try to convince ourselves it's   
stupid and worthless, undermine its integrity. We   
try to pretend you don't really care, like the rest of us don't really care. But   
way back in our heads it's all because we don't see why you can have something   
that we all want but can't all have. We can't admit to ourselves that what you   
seven boys have is right. Damn you Chris Larabee. That's right, I'm going to   
join my teammates for once and agree with them. Damn you. Damn Buck Wilmington   
and damn Ezra Standish. Damn all of you. Damn you for doing something right   
before the rest of us could even figure out something was wrong.   
  
  
END  
  
  
  
  



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